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US 6,183,826 B2Granted
Colored cellulosic casing with clear corridor
AssigneeViskase Corporation
InventorsXavier Jose Quinones, Jeffrey Brian Sherry, James Richard Hansen
Life of this patent
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AssigneeViskase Corporation
InventorsXavier Jose Quinones, Jeffrey Brian Sherry, James Richard Hansen
Estimating the term…
A sausage casing comprising an elongated cellulosic tube having less than about 100 wt. % moisture based upon the bone dry weight of cellulose and having first and second longitudinal portions, and a colorant or opacifier which is longitudinally and continuously dispersed throughout the wall of at least one of these portions to provide it with different optical properties which are useful e.g., for quality control and identification of color development, meat type and particle definition and/or to provide an attractive package appearance. In a preferred embodiment, a sausage is encased where the surface area of the second portion is less than or equal to the first portion and these portions are visually different having measurable L,a,b and opacity values such that: i) an average opacity value of the first portion is at least about 0.5 greater than that for the second; or ii) the difference in average opacity between the first and second portions is less than 10, and a difference of at least about 5 exists between the first and second portions in their L,a, or b values; or iii) there is a difference of at least about 10 in average opacity between the first and second portions, and the sum of the absolute values of a and b of the first portion is at least 10.
A cellulosic food casing comprising an elongated cellulosic thin walled tube having a moisture content of less than 100 wt. % based upon the weight of bone dry cellulose (BDC), said tube having first and second longitudinal portions, and a colorant or opacifier which is longitudinally and continuously dispersed in at least said first portion throughout said tube wall to provide said portion with optical values which are different from said other portion, said portions having a surface area ratio of said first portion to said second portion of at least about 1:1 or greater, and wherein said first and second portions have Hunter L, a, b values and opacity values which values meet at least one of the following conditions:
A food casing comprising a shirred elongated tube of at least 50 feet in length having adjacent first and second longitudinal portions of at least four inches in length wherein at least one colorant or opacifier is dispersed in at least one of said portions throughout a wall of said tube to provide it with optical values which are different from the other portion, and wherein the second portion has a transverse width less than or equal to that for said first portion and said first and second portions have Hunter L,a,b values and opacity values meeting at least one of the following conditions:
A peelable food casing for formation of skinless frankfurters comprising a shirred nonfiber-reinforced elongated tube having adjacent first and second longitudinal portions of at least 50 feet in length wherein at least one colorant or opacifier is dispersed in at least one of said portions throughout a wall of said tube to provide it with optical values which are different from the other portion, and wherein the second portion has a transverse width less than that for said first portion and said first and second portions have Hunter L,a,b values and opacity values meeting at least one of the following conditions:
A high-speed machine peelable sausage casing comprising a shirred elongated cellulosic tube having adjacent first and second longitudinal portions of at least 50 feet in length wherein non-migratory water-insoluble pigment is incorporated in said first portion of said cellulose casing by dispersion in a wall of said tube to provide it with optical values which are different from said second portion, and wherein said second portion is clear and colorless having an opacity of less than 5.0% and a transverse width of at least {fraction (3/16)} inch, but less than the width of said first portion and said first and second portions have L,a,b and opacity values meeting at least one of the following conditions:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.